Chapter 84: Signed the Divorce Letter

Mu Yuanzhi shook her head. "Things are far from simple."

If she could, she would have already planned to run.

"Father Emperor wouldn't allow someone like me to stay too far from him." Unless she dies.

Otherwise, if she went to another country, the Son of Heaven would dig three feet deep to find her.

To the Son of Heaven, her leaving would threaten the empire's safety.

How could she guarantee her own and the Qilin's safe escape? Especially the Qilin—she would never allow it to die before her again!

"Little sister Zhi!"

Pei Shangyan barged in without reporting!

"Xiao Yunzi, Xiao Nianzi, what are you guys doing for a living?!" Mu Yuanzhi jumped up, heart pounding.

The Qilin had just spoken treasonous words not long ago! If anyone heard, it would be disastrous!

"They stopped me and detained my people." Pei Shangyan rushed in, his expression unprecedentedly stern, he said: "Little sister Zhi, there's no delay—write a divorce letter now and cut ties with Gu Rongjin immediately!"

Compared to Pei Shangyan's extreme tension, Mu Yuanzhi was unhurried: "My engagement to Gu Rongjin is an edict from Father Emperor; do you think a divorce letter would help?"

"Now isn't the time to worry about that—just write it, I guarantee you'll have no connection whatsoever with Pingnan Wangfu!" Pei Shangyan thought Mu Yuanzhi was worried the divorce letter wouldn't take effect, and assured her.

Mu Yuanzhi, however, said: "I will not write it."

"Little sister Zhi, this is no time for willfulness!" Pei Shangyan unconsciously raised his voice: "Gu Rongjin is a murderer; Prince Pingnan bringing troops into the capital could outright be considered rebellion—don't you understand?!"

He, preoccupied with deploying troops, was already at his wits' end, and still had to spare mind to worry about her—utterly exhausted!

"Crown Prince, you're too impatient—Prince Pingnan is currently in conference with Father Emperor in Xuanshi Hall; to groundlessly accuse him of rebellion—is that acceptable?"

She had no retreat; even if she dissolved her engagement to Gu Rongjin, inside the palace gates she'd still be in dire straits, and she didn't know whom the Son of Heaven would have her marry in the future—but taking a chance, she still had another path.

Pei Shangyan couldn't dissuade her, his anger flared, but suddenly the voice from that day's nightmare flashed in his ear, his heart clenched again, and his anger instantly dissipated.

He felt a deep sense of helplessness, not knowing how to persuade his stubborn sister; she was as if poisoned by Gu Rongjin's gu, listening only to his words!

For days, that nightmare had disturbed his peace of mind, and now this major incident arose—his whole self was in turmoil.

"Crown Prince Brother!" Pei Shangling also burst in; seeing the situation, he immediately knew what was happening and angrily shouted: "Crown Prince Brother, stop wasting words on her—just press her to sign! I've prepared the divorce letter!"

What time is it, and you're still spouting nonsense!

Pei Shangling clutched the red divorce letter, lacking only Mu Yuanzhi's fingerprints.

"Are you treating me as invisible!" The Qilin instantly stepped in front of Mu Yuanzhi, his eyes deep.

"Qilin!" Mu Yuanzhi worried he'd be hurt, hurried to pull him.

"You?!" Pei Shangling shoved the divorce letter into Pei Shangyan's hands, without further words he struck at the Qilin.

Unexpectedly, his palm strike with ninety percent of his strength was caught by the Qilin, and the Qilin's retaliatory palm even knocked him back directly!

Stumbling backward, overturning chairs and tables, Pei Shangling's anger surged to his heart, and he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood!

He fiercely wiped the blood from his mouth, glaring at Mu Yuanzhi: "Mu Yuanzhi, you're condoning your younger brother's violence?!"

"You struck first at my junior disciple!" Mu Yuanzhi shielded the Qilin protectively behind her.

Pei Shangling couldn't believe it—he had just vomited blood, yet she was still protecting that brat!

"Fourth Brother, are you alright?" Pei Shangyan helped Pei Shangling up with heartache, earnestly advising Mu Yuanzhi: "Little sister Zhi, we're doing this for your own good—how can you treat your fourth brother like this?"

What's wrong with her? She even complains he didn't vomit enough!

"You come to force me to divorce, then strike my junior disciple—my junior disciple was acting in self-defense!" Mu Yuanzhi declared righteously.

"Crown Prince Brother, stop wasting words on her—let the outer imperial guards rush in, chop off her hand if needed to make her sign!" Even losing a hand is better than losing one's life, right?

Who made her so obstinate and insensible!

"Fourth Brother, don't say such angry words!" Pei Shangyan certainly didn't want to hurt Mu Yuanzhi; he let the outer imperial guards in, his first order being: no harm to Mu Yuanzhi—"as for others, if they resist, kill without pardon!"

Mu Yuanzhi's eyes flashed sharply: "Anyone who dares to harm a single hair of anyone from Weiyang Palace, I will certainly not forgive lightly!"

She and Pei Shangyan faced off; the scene once reminded him of that nightmare, as if he again heard the sound of a blade piercing flesh and bone, and Mu Yuanzhi's painful moan.

Pei Shangyan panicked again in an instant, and just as he was distracted, Pei Shangling had already snatched a sword from a nearby imperial guard, shouting furiously: "Let's see how you refuse to forgive!"

"Fourth Brother!" Pei Shangyan's heart leapt to his throat.

Thinking Pei Shangling would harm Mu Yuanzhi, the Qilin swiftly flung hidden weapons at him; the techniques he'd learned from Gu Rongjin were more than enough to deal with Pei Shangling, and being himself a master of hidden weapons, several flying needles struck true and fierce into his various acupoints, causing him to collapse instantly, unconscious.

All the imperial guards drew their swords: "Dare to harm the Fourth Prince! Seize that assassin!"

The scene once became utterly chaotic; Mu Yuanzhi shouted loudly: "Everyone, stop!"

Those imperial guards hesitated, blades raised, looking toward Pei Shangyan.

Pei Shangyan took a deep breath: "Seize them!"

Mu Yuanzhi immediately stepped in front of the Qilin: "Then first get past me!"

"Senior sister, stop always blocking me—they're heartless!" The Qilin said, then shouted to those people: "You needn't be agitated—Pei Shangling merely fainted; if you withdraw, I'll unseal his acupoints!"

Pei Shangyan gritted his molars, after much deliberation forced to nod: "You all withdraw first."

The matter of the divorce letter wasn't urgent either; he'd find another chance to talk properly with Little Sister Zhi, and he didn't want to cross swords with her—their relationship had already deteriorated.

"You withdraw too!" Mu Yuanzhi coldly glanced at Pei Shangyan.

Pei Shangyan withdrew his gaze, silently retreating.

The Qilin, uneasy, trussed Pei Shangling up five ways, then released his acupoints; the man woke instantly, and upon waking discovered he was tightly bound, he immediately exploded: "You damned brat, you dared to wound an imperial prince—you're dead! And you, Mu Yuanzhi, treating kindness as dung—do you really want to be buried with Gu Rongjin?!"

Mu Yuanzhi, in Pei Shangling's presence, expressionlessly tore up the divorce letter in her hand.